Category Archives: Regions

Africa / Animal Feeding / ASSP / Capacity Strengthening / CapDev / Drylands / Event report / Farming Systems / Film and video / Fodder / ILRI / Innovation Systems / Intensification / Interview / Nigeria / Uganda / Vulnerability / Zimbabwe

Voices from the sixth Africa Agriculture Science Week 2013

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Change mindsets, embed policymaking, make efficient use of declining biomass, engage the private sector. These and other recommendations of four participants attending the ongoing sixth Africa Agriculture Science Week (AASW6) are captured in this short (2:40-minute) video. This science week, organized by the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), is being held in Accra, … Continue reading →

Africa / Agriculture / CCAFS / Climate Change / East Africa / Ethiopia / Event / ILRIComms / Innovation Systems / Kenya / Knowledge and Information / Research / South Asia / Southern Africa / West Africa

Next steps for climate change social learning initiative – implementation, incubation, partnering, testing, scaling…

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Climate change is a wicked problem, it requires wicked solutions, not business-as-usual. The CGIAR research program on climate change, agriculture and food security (CCAFS) recognised this when they joined up with International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and other partners to look at the potential of social learning and communication approaches to support decision-making on climate change adaptation … Continue reading →

Animal Products / Article / Southern Africa / Value Chains

Zambeef: Indigenous Zambian company ‘makes good’ serving middle, as well as lower-income, groups

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Cows wait to be milked at one of Zambia’s largest agribusinesses—Zambeef (photo credit: BBC World Service). A butchery run by Zambeef in Lusaka, Zambia, is ‘a fast-growing food company based in Lusaka. It operates meat counters at all 20 Shoprite stores across Zambia as well as in the chain’s newer outlets in Ghana and Nigeria. … Continue reading →

Directorate / East Africa / Environment / Event / Food Security / ILRI / Kenya / Policy / Pro-Poor Livestock / Southern Africa

Invest in Africa’s fast-growing livestock sector: The time is now, says ILRI’s Jimmy Smith

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Florence Chepkirui, a blind dairy farmer in Saoset village in Kenya’s Bomet District (photo credit: ILRI/Paul Karaimu). The director general of the International Livestock Institute (ILRI) has called for significant investments in the development of Africa’s livestock sector, which he said is rapidly growing. Jimmy Smith told the told participants of a recent three-day Africa … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Breeding / Biotechnology / Film and video / Genetics / ILRI / Indigenous Breeds / Interview / LiveGene

Saving the world’s genetic wealth: Scientists in Kenya propose plans for first livestock genebank

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The indigenous, worm-resistant (and non-wool-producing) red Maasai sheep of East Africa (photo credit: ILRI). SciDevNet reports on a ‘livestock genebank’ that’s needed to help conserve breeds and populations of farm animals, especially the wealth of diversity remaining in Africa and other developing regions, that are fast being eroded through cross-breeding and importations of exotic stock. … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Production / BecA / Biodiversity / Cameroon / Central Africa / Congo-DR / East Africa / Genetics / ILRI / Innovation Systems / Livestock / LIVESTOCKFISH

Molecular study makes a difference to guinea pig producers in eastern Congo

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Domestic cavies (or guinea pigs) provide a high-quality meat source with high levels of protein in similar quantity as chicken meat. Here, Brigitte Maass explains how an innovation platform linking cavy producers and other organizations is helping to bridge molecular science with livestock production. An Africa Biosciences Challenge Fund (ACBF) project (led by the BecA-ILRI … Continue reading →

ASSP / Capacity Strengthening / East Africa / Ethiopia / Livestock / Project / Value Chains

Developing value chain action plans for the Ethiopia Livestock Master Plan

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Earlier this year, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) approved funds to support the development of value chain action plans for the Ethiopia Livestock Master Plan (LMP). The project began on Wednesday, May 1, with the hiring of Dr. Asfaw Negassa as Value Chain Expert and Ms. Hiwot Yerga, as Program Coordinator. ILRI is … Continue reading →

Agriculture / Article / Climate Change / DRYLANDSCRP / East Africa / Livelihoods / Livestock / Pastoralism / Vulnerability

Making visible the ‘invisible benefits’ of African pastoralism will spur national and pastoral economies both

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Pastoral areas of Africa are experiencing a booming livestock export trade and inflow of investment that can be harnessed to grow national economies (photo credit: ILRI/Stevie Mann). A comprehensive economic evaluation of pastoral livestock’s often invisible livelihood benefits in Africa’s drylands could be key in maintaining and harnessing the increasing economic benefits for poor herders … Continue reading →

CGIAR / Drylands / DRYLANDSCRP / Geodata / HUMIDTROPICS / ILRI / Intensification / Livestock Systems / Markets / NRM / Pastoralism / PIL / Policy / Project / Senegal / Vulnerability / West Africa

Africa’s dryland agricultural systems research: When East meets West (and when it doesn’t)

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I have been working for nine months as an agricultural economist at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) headquarters, in Nairobi, Kenya. I have come to realize that there are not enough bridges between West and East African agricultural research communities. Is it a problem of history? Different languages? Or perhaps inter-African communication links are … Continue reading →

Africa / Agriculture / CCAFS / Climate Change / Food Security / Kenya / Opinion piece

‘Adapt to climate shifts now’ – New research report advice to Africa’s farmers and policymakers

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A failed maize crop in Ghana. A report by CCAFS is advising Africa’s farmers and policymakers to adapt to climate shifts now to ensure communities are protected from climate change devastations (photo credit: Neil Palmer/CIAT). The many adverse impacts of climate change on agriculture—from increasing droughts and floods, to more unpredictable and extreme weather patterns, … Continue reading →